Wasco County, Oregon
Wasco County is located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe who lived on the south side of the Columbia River. In 2000, its population was 23,791. Its county seat is The Dalles. Economy The county's economy is based upon agriculture (orchards, wheat farming, livestock ranching), lumber, manufacturing, electric power, transportation, and tourism. Aluminum production was previously a major support of the local economy, but electrical price fluctuations and a slump in global aluminum prices has forced the closing of a number of local aluminum foundries. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,204 km² (2,395 sq mi). 6,167 km² (2,381 sq mi) of it is land and 37 km² (14 sq mi) of it (0.60%) is water. Adjacent Counties * Hood River County - west * Clackamas County - west * Marion County - southwest * Jefferson County - south * Wheeler County - southeast * Gilliam County - east * Sherman County - east * Klickitat County - north History Celilo Falls on the Columbia River served as a gathering place and major trading center for the local Native Americans, including the Wasco, Paiute, and Warm Springs tribes, for thousands of years. These rapids came to be named Le Grand Dalles de la Columbia or "The Great Falls of the Columbia" by the French Canadian fur traders. The Dalles served initially as a way station on the emigrant road to the Willamette Valley. The construction of a pioneer road over the Cascades in 1845, and the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 encouraged families to settle in the area. Over the following years, Wasco County was a major transportation hub for both river and inland traffic. The Territorial Legislature created Wasco County on January 11, 1854 from the parts of Clackamas, Lane, Linn and Marion counties, that were east of the Cascade Range -- which included most of Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming. At the time of its creation, it was the largest county in the United States, consisting of 130,000 square miles. As Washington Territory and other Oregon counties were split away, Wasco was reduced to its current size. The Dalles was designated the county seat with the creation of the county, and has been its only location. The river traffic on the Columbia River was profoundly affected in 1935 by the building of Bonneville Dam in Multnomah County and by The Dalles Dam in 1957 in Wasco County. Wasco county attracted international attention in the 1980s, when Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh went to the United States and settled for several years at a marginal ranch called "The Big Muddy", but later known as Rajneeshpuram. Disagreements over zoning rules and building codes in the beginning continued to escalate between not only his followers and the inhabitants of Wasco County, but eventually with the rest of the state. His followers, known as Rajneeshees, settled en bloc in Antelope and were able to elect a majority of the town councillors. Acerbic, if not hostile comments by his spokeswoman, Ma Anand Sheela, only increased tensions, and were not helped by Rajneesh's vow of silence. When the Rajneeshees subsequently recruited homeless people from across the United States to settle at Rajneeshpuram, it was widely seen as an attempt to use the ballot box to seize control of the county. But perhaps the most bizarre turn of events was when an outbreak of salmonella in a salad bar at a restaurant in The Dalles was traced to the acts of his followers. About this time, Sheela was removed from her post in the Rajneesh's service. This chapter in the county's history finally ended in 1985, when Rajneesh was arrested as he was fleeing the U.S. On October 23 1985, a federal grand jury in Portland had secretly indicted Rajneesh, Sheela, and six other of his followers for immigration crimes. Two days later, a Wasco County grand jury returned indictments against Sheela and two others, charging them with the attempted murder of Swami Devaraj, the Bhagwan's personal doctor. He entered an Alford plea, and given a suspended sentence on condition that he leave the country. The former Rajneesh ranch is now known as "Wildhorse Canyon". It is owned and operated by Young Life Ministries, a Christian organization providing camp services for youth. Communities Incorporated cities *Antelope *Dufur *Maupin *Mosier *Shaniko *The Dalles Unincorporated communities and CDPs *Boyd (a ghost town) *Chenoweth *Friend (ghost town) *Pine Grove *Pine Hollow *Rice *Rowena *Tygh Valley *Wamic Demographics As of the census² of 2000, there were 23,791 people, 9,401 households, and 6,505 families residing in the county. The population density was 4/km² (10/sq mi). There were 10,651 housing units at an average density of 2/km² (4/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 86.58% White, 3.81% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 0.30% Black or African American, 5.65% from other races, and 2.36% from two or more races. 9.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 9,401 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,959, and the median income for a family was $42,412. Males had a median income of $36,051 versus $21,575 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,195. About 10.30% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.70% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over. See also *1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack External links *Wasco County Home Page *Wasco County History & Genealogy Project Category:Counties of Oregon Category:Wasco County, Oregon Category:Columbia River Gorge Category:Rajneesh movement